Photographic washing-box



Patented Mar. 7, I899.

H. BURKE &. D. JAMES.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY BURKE AND DAVID JAMES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PHOTOGRAPHIC WASHING-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 620,565, dated March 7, 1899.

A li ti fil d October 26, 1898. Serial No. 694,604. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, HENRY BURKE and DAVID JAMES, residents of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in WVashing-Boxes for Photographic Plates; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to an improvement in washing-boxes for photographic plates, the object of the invention being to so construct a device that it will accommodate difierentsized plates and one in which plates can be inserted and withdrawn without danger of breaking them and obviating all necessity of the operator putting his fingers in the bath.

A further object is to provide a washingbox that will be neat in appearance, cheap to manufacture, and most effectual and convenient when in use.

With these objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a View illustrating our improvements, and Figs. 2 and 3 are views of details.

A represents a box open at its top and provided with an inlet-pipe 1, which preferably enters one end of the box, as shown, and terminates a short distance from the bottom thereof, where it is adapted to discharge. An overflow-pipe 2 communicates with the box at or near the upper edge thereof and preferably at the opposite end of the box to the inlet-pipe 1.

The sides and ends of our improved box are provided on their inner faces with corrugated plates or strips 3, adapted to form a number of guideways for plates to be treated. A slide C, provided on one face with the corrugated plate 4., may be slid in the grooves or guideways in the sides of the box, whereby to accommodate difierent-sized plates, and it will be seen that when the slide is inserted to accommodate plates of certain size there will still be room behind said slide to accommodate a few of the smaller-sized plates which extend from side to side of the box.

A movable platform D, provided with perforations 7 and having depending flanges 6 at its edges, whereby to prevent its contact with the bottom of the box and prevent a too-sudden infiow of the liquid on the plates, is located in the box below the lower ends of the corrugated plates and provided with a handle 8. The platform D is disposed normally in the bottom of said box and adapted to receive the plates edgewise thereon. Itwill be readily seen that this removable platform D will always have an edge of each plate resting thereon, and when it is desired to remove one or more of said plates it is simply necessary for the operator to raise the platform by means of the handle (which projects above the top of the bath) until the upper edges of the plates are out of the liquid and above the top of the box, when the operator can grasp the plate or plates desired and remove the same from the box without getting the liquid on his hands.

Various slight changes might be made in the general form and arrangement of the several parts described without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and hence we would have it understood that we do not wish to limit ourselves to the precise details set forth, but consider ourselves at liberty to make such slight changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of our invention.

Having fully described our invention,what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a box provided interiorly with guideways for plates, of a support for said plates movable vertically, independently of said guideways, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a box having a tight bottom and provided on its walls with guideways for plates, said guideways terminating above the bottom of the box, of avertically-movable support for plates disposed" in said box below the guideways and means for manipulating said support, substantially as set forth.

3. The'combination with a box adapted to contain fluid, open at its top and tightly closed 4. The combination with a box adapted to' hold fluid and open at its top, of corrugated plates secured to the inner faces of the box, a movable slide provided on one face with a corrugated plate and a platform movable in said box and adapted to support photographic plates and said slide.

5. The combination with a box adapted to hold fluid and provided on its Walls with corrugated plates, of a platform in the box below the saidcorrugated plates, a slide supported on said platform and guided by two of said corrugated plates, a corrugated plate on said slide, and a rod secured to said platform whereby to move it independently of the box and the corrugated plates thereon, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with a box open at its top, of a supply-pipe adapted to discharge at the bottom of said box and an overflow-pipe communicating near the top of said box, corrugated plates secured to the inner faces of said box and a platform movable independently of the box and adapted to raise and lower plates placed in said box.

In testimony whereof we have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY BURKE. DAVID JAMES Witnesses:

WM. R. JAMES, LOUISE M. HUGHES. 

